1997 Clashes in Cambodia - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

1997 clashes in Cambodia

Date 5 July - August 1997

Location Cambodia

Mostly in Phnom Penh,

Cambodia

PROVINCES:

Samrong

Sisophon

Pailin

O'Smach

Result Victory of Hun Sen. Co-premier

Norodom Ranariddh, ousted, remains

in exile.

Belligerents

CPP

FUNCINPEC

Khmer

Rouge (mostly in

the Northern

Provinces)[1]

Commanders and leaders

Hun Sen Norodom

Ranariddh

Nhek Bun

Chhay

Serei Kosal (in

Battambang

Province)

Ta Mok

Casualties and losses

Unknown Around 40 FUNCINPEC officials

killed[2]

100 civilians killed (5-6 July)[3]

1997 clashes in CambodiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1997 clashes in Cambodia, also referred to as 1997coup in Cambodia (especially by critics of Hun Sen), tookplace in Cambodia in July and August 1997. As a result,co-premier Hun Sen ousted the other co-premier NorodomRanariddh. Tens of people were killed during the conflict.

Background

On March 16, 1992, the UN Transitional Authority inCambodia (UNTAC), under UNSYG Special RepresentativeYasushi Akashi and Lt. General John Sanderson, arrived inCambodia to begin implementation of the UN SettlementPlan, that was concluded as a result of the Paris PeaceAccords of 1991. Free elections were held in 1993. TheKhmer Rouge or Party of Democratic Kampuchea (PDK),whose forces were never actually disarmed or demobilized,barred some people from participating in the 10-15 percentof the country (holding six percent of the population) it thencontrolled. Altogether, over four million Cambodians (about90% of eligible voters) participated in the May 1993elections.

Prince Norodom Ranariddh's royalist FUNCINPEC Partywas the top vote recipient with 45.5% vote, followed by HunSen's Cambodian People's Party (ex-communist) and theBuddhist Liberal Democratic Party (of Son Sann),respectively. Despite the victory, the FUNCINPEC had toenter into coalition talks with the Cambodian People's Party,led by the strong-man Hun Sen, who refused to relinquish

power.[4]

After talks, Prince Ranariddh and Hun Sen became First andSecond Prime Ministers, respectively, in the RoyalCambodian Government (RCG).

Factional fighting

In 1997, long tensions between the two governing partiesbroke into factional fighting between FUNCINPECsupporters of Prince Norodom Ranariddh and of Hun Sen, resulting in a number of casualties. This event was

generally treated by the press, as well as by some scholars, as a "bloody coup by strongman Hun Sen",[5]

without much serious and neutral investigation into its causes and its development.[6] Among the very few whoattempted to look at evidence from both sides at the time were Australian ambassador to Cambodia Tony

Kevin,[7] and journalist Barry Wain, who wrote, "in circumstances that remain disputed, Mr. Hun Sen's military

1997 clashes in Cambodia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_clashes_in_Cambodia

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forces... defeated Prince Ranariddh's troops in Phnom Penh".[8] Thomas Hammarberg, the United NationsSpecial Representative on Human Rights in Cambodia, made it clear in his October 1997 report to the UN

General Assembly: the events of July 56 were a "coup d'tat."[4] In retrospect, following issues have beenidentified as the causes of the violent events: the 'dual power' accorded by the 1993 power sharing formulaallowed the CPP to retain control over power structures; while officially a ruling party, the FUNCINPEC

concluded an alliance National United Front with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party;[7] the opposite sidesaccused each other of trying to integrate former Khmer Rouge fighters, who had been/were defecting.

Thus, Hun Sen alleged that Ranariddh had been planning a take-over with the help of Khmer Rouge fighters,supposedly smuggled into the capital (on the other hand, Hun Sen's army included a number of ex-Khmer rouge

fighters as well).[9]

After the royalist resistance was crushed in Phnom Penh, there was indeed some joint resistance byFUCINPEC-Khmer Rouge forces in the Northern provinces, where the fighting against Hun Sen offensive

lasted until August 1997.[1]

Following the seizure of power by Hun Sen, Prince Ranariddh went into exile to Paris. Some FUNCINPECleaders were forced to flee the country, many were shot and Ung Huot was elected as the new First PrimeMinister.

FUNCINPEC leaders returned to Cambodia shortly before the 1998 National Assembly elections. In thoseelections, the CPP received 41% of the vote, FUNCINPEC 32%, and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) 13%. Manyinternational observers judged the elections to have been seriously flawed, claiming political violence,intimidation, and lack of media access. The CPP and FUNCINPEC formed another coalition government, withCPP the senior partner.

References

"Cambodge: les royalistes assigsAids des Khmers rouges ils dfendent leur - Libration" (http://www.liberation.fr/monde/0101221900-cambodge-les-royalistes-assiegesaides-des-khmers-rouges-ils-defendent-leur-dernier-bastion-attaque-par-hun-sen). Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5jXV18GgD) from the original on 2009-09-04.Retrieved 2009-08-26.

1.

Anatomy of a Crisis (http://books.google.ee/books?id=qMBgWV5SYekC). Books.google.ee. 2000. p. 150.ISBN 9780824822385. Retrieved 2015-01-23.

2.

http://www.c-r.org/accord-article/between-war-and-peace-cambodia-1991-19983. "Cambodia: July 1997: Shock and Aftermath | Human Rights Watch" (http://www.hrw.org/ja/news/2007/07/27/cambodia-july-1997-shock-and-aftermath). Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5jXUzuNgC) from the originalon 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.

4.

" "Bloody coup" theory" (http://www.mekong.net/Cambodia/hun_sen1.htm). Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5jXV0LFgH) from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.

5.

"Matthew Grainger, EU media guru says Ranariddh guilty" (http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/component/option,com_jcs/Itemid,0/aid,8547/lang,en/layout,form/view,jcs/). Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5jXV0l0mp) from the original on 2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.

6.

Tony Kevin (21 May 1998). "U.S. Errs in Cambodia Policy, FEER" (http://www.acic.info/new_article/CambodiaAndSoutheastAsia.pdf) (PDF). Acic.info. Retrieved 2014-10-16.

7.

"Dr. Michael Vickery, The July 1997 shootout" (http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/component/option,com_jcs/Itemid,49/aid,867/lang,en/layout,form/view,jcs/). Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 2014-10-16.

8.

"Cambodia: July 1997: Shock and Aftermath by Brad Adams" (http://www.hrw.org/ja/news/2007/07/27/cambodia-july-1997-shock-and-aftermath). Archived (http://www.webcitation.org/5jXUzuNgC) from the original on2009-09-04. Retrieved 2009-08-26.

9.


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